With the COVID-19 pandemic out there, folks, a lot of us are taking more steps to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. Beyond washing your hands and keeping a safe distance from others where possible, you can also work to help ensure your immune system is at its best.
Lower your stress levels
High levels of stress, whether it’s from work or home, are never good for your immune system. Stress, according to the American Psychological Association, will lower your immune system response because it decreases how many white blood cells–your infection fighters–you have in your system (https://www.apa.org/research/action/immune).
There’s no one way to reduce your stress levels. Everyone is different, so you’ll have to take a close look at the source of your stress and what you can do to mitigate the situation there. If it’s out of your hands, try some new stress-busting outlets. Exercise, reading, meditation and yoga are all potential stress relievers. For some people, just being able to shift focus for a time eases stress, such as trying out a new hobby or activity. Figure out what your stress go-to is and make sure it becomes a part of your regular schedule.
Give sleep the attention it deserves
I get it: you’ve heard many times that you don’t sleep enough and that sleep is important, but you just don’t have enough time in the day. You do, however, need to make that time. Not only is sleep crucial for mental and physical performance, but you also need it if you want to have a good immune system.
According to the Sleep Foundation, when you don’t get enough shut-eye, your body make less of a protein that you need to target inflammation and infection (https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-sleep-affects-your-immunity). These proteins are both made and released when you sleep, so you’re hitting yourself with a double whammy when you don’t sleep enough.
Eat a lot better
There, I said it – the part you’ve been dreading! A lot of us slid on our diets during this pandemic, and it’s not hard to guess why. But your body needs enough nutrients and vitamins to run your immune system effectively. Introduce more fruits, veggies and whole foods into your diet, and cut out the processed items. It will take some will willpower, especially if you’ve been in snack mode lately, but it does get easier over time.
